The Cottage
by teamlante
Summary: What happens when Dante's paternal demons tempt him to take one too many risks? Can Lulu and his other loved ones pull him back from the brink of disaster?
1. Chapter 1

_Introduction: This story is a team project. I had this rough idea in my head — inspired by a scene in msnewwriter's "This Time" — but didn't have the time, courage, or motivation to put down all the details and work out the story on paper. I ran the idea past my new friend, Lante Lover, who had both the skill and the drive to take the idea and run with it. She is carrying the idea forward in her usual, fabulous manner and I have the luxury of throwing in my ideas and suggesting "embellishments" as the story progresses. Without Lante Lover, you would not be reading this. She is the one who is making it into a story. She also had the insight to seek the counsel of another friend, Zou2, who has contributed some terrific suggestions as well._

_We enjoy Dante and Lulu because they are strong and complex, and we applaud their destiny as a couple. The story lines that can be generated by the pairing of Luke's daughter with Sonny's son are truly unique and set them apart from the average "soap opera couple." Together, they are pure gold for the future of GH! So, inspired with excitement for their future we decided on the pen name, TeamLante. We truly are having fun with this and hope you enjoy it_...

***

**Chapter One**

As Ronnie, Lucky and Dante came running out of the burning building with their victims still breathing and basically uninjured, all Dante could think about was helping this family get their father out alive. He knew what it was like growing up without a father and knew he had to do everything possible so that these two children didn't lose theirs now. Dante laid the young boy he had cradled in his arms on the grass outside the structure and, against the opinions of the other men, ran back inside the burning building to retrieve their father.

Dante had only a flashlight to help him guide his way back to where he thought the father was at, but the thick, dense smoke was making it almost impossible to see anything. Despite the choking smoke that was burning his lungs with each breath Dante continued further into the structure, calling out to the man several times. Finally, he heard faint moaning coming from what he thought was the back of the building. He followed the sounds and at last, found the man lying face down on the floor. Even with only the meager lighting of the flashlight Dante could see that he was severely burned, but alive. Knowing there was no time to be gentle and that they probably didn't have much time before the structure started to collapse on them Dante grabbed the injured man, slinging him over his back in a fireman's carry and started back toward the entry.

At the front of the building, several beams had started to lose their strength and buckled under the heat of the fire. Ronnie came as close to the opening as possible, continuously yelling out Dante's name. Ronnie only heard the crackle of the fire and Lucky franticly calling for back up on his radio. The front portion of the house collapsed as the fire department drove up with their sirens blaring, turning the grim situation even more desperate.

The firemen rolled out their hoses and hooked them to the hydrants. Almost immediately, water was pouring on the blazing fire. Ronnie ran over to the fire lieutenant and gave him a general description of where they thought Dante and the homeowner were located. Both Lucky and Ronnie paced as several firemen ran into the building to find the trapped men.

Lucky wasn't sure how he was going to tell Lulu if Dante didn't make it out. Lulu and Dante had been through so much since Sonny shot him, and Lulu loved him with all her heart. Lucky worried that the fears that Lulu had recently shared with him about Dante were coming to fruition. As he watched he fire continue to consume the building before him his mind went back to that conversation he'd had with her.

Lulu said things had been wonderful with them after the shooting, almost like she and Dante were in their own little bubble. Then slowly, after several months, she noticed a change in Dante's attitude and couldn't shake the feeling that he was taking more risks at work. He wouldn't talk about this change and when Lulu questioned Dante, he said it was just part of his job. But, Lulu felt this increasingly reckless behavior was connected to his finding out that Sonny was his father. The stresses between Sonny and Dante continued to build until one night, Dante, on his way home from work, ran across a car accident. A car was teetering on the edge of the embankment on highway 11. Dante snaked his way on his belly to the driver's side and was able to pull the woman out of the car before the car plunged over the side. Dante received 11 stitches on his wrist for that heroism. Lulu couldn't take it anymore and she moved out of his apartment and back into Maxie's. That was three months ago.

Since then, Lulu and Dante had barely spoken, each of them retreating from the other in a desperate attempt to avoid their worst fears. Dante inwardly raged against the paternal demons that choked him and threatened to ruin all his dreams, while poor Lulu franticly backpedaled to reestablish her defenses before she was forced to watch Dante self-destruct. Watching the menacing flames, Lucky knew this recent act of selflessness, or rather recklessness from Dante, would shake Lulu to her core. She could never fully let go of her love for him.

Lucky came out of his reverie as there was a commotion at the front of the building as the firemen came out of the building carrying the two men. They were alive, but barely. Both men were suffering from burns and severe smoke inhalation, but an ugly gash on the left side of Dante's head and a menacing bruise to his rib cage told them that Dante appeared to have taken the brunt of the structure collapse. The EMT's strapped an oxygen mask onto Dante's face and carefully immobilized him on a backboard. They assessed his vital signs, bandaged his head, started him on an IV, and loaded him into a waiting ambulance.

Lulu had been at the hospital to drop off some papers from Kate for a community project Crimson was going to do with the hospital. She had stopped by the ER to talk to Liz, when the ambulance pulled up. They brought the young man out; he was unrecognizable to most people. But when Lulu saw him, she knew who it was. It was Dante.

Dante was covered in soot and sweat. Barely conscious, he seemed to be struggling for the air supplied by his oxygen mask—his breaths coming in a ghastly combination of feeble gasps and coughs. He looked burned and bloodied. Though strapped to a backboard, he shifted restlessly, his eyes unfocused until they seemed to fall on Lulu. Those beautiful, soulful eyes appeared to lock on her while the EMT's recited the litany of details that described his vital statistics to Dr. Webber. Then, Dante was gone. They whisked him to a treatment room as Dr. Webber barked out orders for what seemed like dozens of tests.

Dante was in a surreal mixture of pain, confusion and profound exhaustion. Dazed and struggling for air, he could hear Dr. Webber's voice, but he couldn't make sense of what he was hearing. His head felt like it had exploded and something deep in his chest felt crushed and heavy. His back and shoulders felt seared and nausea was hitting him in waves. He fought for consciousness, but slowly and seductively, pain and dizziness were teasing him into the arms of darkness. Drifting in and out of consciousness, Dante was afraid, for once in his life, he could die. He was afraid he would die without being able to tell Lulu how much he loved her and missed her. For some strange reason, he felt Lulu's presence around him. It was willing him to live.

Lulu watched helplessly as Dr. Webber's team carefully removed what was left of his clothing. His shoulders were red and blistered, his ribcage badly bruised, and blood was starting to seep through the bandage covering his head. And through all the noise and activity of the medical staff all Lulu could hear was Dante's continued struggle to breathe. A single tear dropped from her eye. She felt Dante's pain as she watched him from outside his room. Lucky approached her from behind and announced his presence with a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?" she asked softly.

Lucky started to tell Lulu how at the end of their shift, the three men had decided to go to Jake's for a beer. They had been putting in a lot of hours on the Corinthos case and just needed some down time to relax. On the way to Jake's they noticed thick, black smoke coming from a row house two streets from the bar. Dante was the first to notice and asked Lucky to call in the address to 911. They pulled up to the house and immediately noticed two young children standing by the fence. Ronnie asked the kids if anyone was in the house and they told him about the family who was still inside. Without even thinking or talking to anyone, Dante ran into the burning building. Naturally, Ronnie and Lucky followed. They found the mother and the two children in the front room, so getting them outside wasn't difficult. However, Lucky said that then, without hesitation Dante had run back inside for the father. Lulu knew she had heard this story before.

After completing his assessment, Dr. Webber emerged from the treatment room to prepare for surgery and to make sure Dante's family was contacted. As he walked out of the room, he noticed Lulu standing there, her eyes fixed on Dante, waiting for any word on his condition. Somewhat reluctantly, Dr. Webber told her that Dante would need surgery to repair a punctured lung and stitches for his head. He likely had a concussion or possibly a skull fracture, but Dr. Drake would assess that. He also had serious burns that would have to be treated as well. Dante was currently listed in critical condition. Steve apologized to Lulu, telling her because she wasn't family she would have to wait for more details until his family arrived. He followed that information with the usual comments that were supposed to make people feel better: "He's young and he's strong. They'll do everything they can to save him."

Lulu was stunned by the severity of Dante's injuries. "Can I go in and stay with him until the orderlies take him for surgery?" she asked. Steve allowed it, knowing Lulu had stood by Dante every time he had come to GH with injuries. As Lulu walked through the curtain, she put on her 'best face' because she didn't want Dante to know how scared she was for him. As she approached him, she noticed about the only thing that didn't look injured was his hands. She gently took one of them and squeezed it to get his attention. Dante opened his eyes and tried to say something, but Lulu stopped him.

"Don't try to say anything. You just need to keep breathing that nice fresh oxygen there." Lulu continued, "I come here to drop off some paperwork and look who I run into." She tried to conjure up a shaky smile to calm him.

Dante squeezed her hand as tightly as he had ever squeezed. He wanted to tell Lulu how much he loved her, how much he needed her, how much he'd missed her. But the words wouldn't come. Simply breathing was an immense effort. The pain was too great and his body just wouldn't cooperate with the feeble impulses of his heart.

Epiphany placed her usual call to Olivia to tell her that Dante had once more been admitted to the hospital. But unlike the last few calls, this one is serious, even more serious than when Dante was shot. As much as Epiphany didn't want to be the one to tell Sonny, her next call was to his father.

The orderlies arrived to take Dante for surgery. Lulu leaned over Dante and whispered in his ear, "I'll be waiting for you when you come out of surgery. You stay strong once more for me, do you hear me?" She found a clean spot on his forehead, gave him a kiss, and reluctantly let go of his hand.

Dante did his best to communicate his love for her through his eyes and hoped it was enough for her to see. He prayed he'd get the opportunity to tell her later. As they rolled him away from her, he closed his eyes and focused on the comfort and warmth that still remained from where she held his hand.

Olivia and Sonny arrived together at GH. Lulu ran to Olivia and hugged her. The tears started to flow from Lulu easily and she told Dante's parents about what had happened this time and what kind of injuries he had sustained. Sonny grimaced thinking about the risks Dante was taking lately. Olivia knew what was going on in Dante's head, but tried to fight off the thought that this whole reckless attitude was her fault. All three of them went into the waiting area to wait out the surgery.

After what seemed like forever, Patrick came out to tell everyone the surgery went well. Steve repaired the lung, and at this point, tests were showing that Patrick's services might be reduced since it looked like Dante only suffered a severe concussion. Because of the severity of his other injuries, Patrick decided to place Dante in a drug induced-coma to allow the brain to recover quicker. Then, in what appeared to be an effort to lighten the mood, he also said that it would make it easier to keep Dante in the bed that way since they all knew what a restless patient he tended to be.

As Dante was wheeled into the intensive care unit, Dr. Webber came out to advise Dante's family the next 24 hours would be very important. He told them about Dante's head injury and then went on to list his other injuries that Patrick had not addressed. He informed them that Dante's lungs had been severely compromised not just by the smoke itself, but also by the toxins in the smoke from all the burning materials. His lung had been repaired, but they had inserted a chest tube to drain the lung and keep it clear. He also had second-degree burns to his back and shoulders as well as three broken ribs. However, it was the damage to his lungs that had Dr. Webber the most concerned. His compromised ability to breathe left him vulnerable to pneumonia, so they had him on a respirator.

Steve described what they were going to see when they went in to Dante's room. He wanted to prepare them for the shock they were about to receive. But no amount of forewarning could have prevented the horror on all their faces when they walked in. Dante looked like a train wreck. Hooked up to several machines, with a breathing tube running out of his mouth, Dante didn't even look like himself. He was bruised and battered and bandages wrapped his head, shoulders and chest. Dr. Steve explained most of the unsightliness was due to superficial wounds that would heal quickly. But to his family and Lulu, after the initial shock of seeing Dante wore off, he looked as beautiful as he always did. They were just relieved he was alive.

Olivia was the first to talk to Dante. She knew he was in a coma, but remembered Carly's words about Michael hearing everything when he was in his coma. Olivia took Dante's hand and kissed it. She wanted to feel the warmth of his skin, but was somewhat shocked that it didn't seem to be as warm as she thought it would be. As unsettling as that was, Olivia told Dante not to worry. He'd be just fine and to make sure, she was going to go to the hospital's chapel to pray for his recovery. It was hard for her to even think about leaving his side, but her instinct told her that Lulu's being there might make all the difference for him. She knew the love Dante had for Lulu. Olivia gave him one final kiss before she left and said to him, "Dante, I am so proud of you. You saved lives tonight. You've been through so much, and you will get through this too. I love you so much."

Sonny walked over to the man whom he'd recently learned was his son. The relationship hadn't gotten any better since the shooting, but Sonny had decided, after several failed attempts, he would let Dante make the next move. It frightened him to think he may not have that chance to reconcile their differences. Sonny knew, right now, Dante didn't need to hear any kind of pep talk from his father, but felt he might just want to know he was there. So, Sonny leaned down and tenderly said "Son, I'm here." He swallowed hard and continued, his voice shaking, "I, uh, I just want you to know that I'm proud of you too and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you get the best care possible." He then turned and headed for the chapel as well. He might not have a great relationship with God, but he figured God would listen to even his prayers where Dante was concerned. Dante had, after all, ended up in this condition trying to save another life, which should at least entitle him to some "grace" and answered prayers.

Olivia and Sonny left Lulu alone with Dante with instructions to let them know if Dante's condition changed. Fighting to control the panic she felt gripping her heart, Lulu sat down in the chair next to his bed and gingerly took Dante's hand in hers. She listened to the steady beeping of his heart monitor and the soft, regular "whoosh" of the respirator and tried to wrap her mind around the fact that this broken man, her love, was once again poised to leave her forever. She drew as close to him as she could, and quietly pleaded, "Please Dante, come back to me. I won't leave this time. We will make it through this, I promise." Deep in her heart, Lulu knew that Dante heard her plea.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two** –

_Dante dreamed of a cottage, one that sat near a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. He was happy and healthy there, and felt relaxed with no worries. As he walked out the back door onto the deck into the starry, moonlit night, he was mesmerized by the vision of an angel in white sitting on a chaise facing the glistening water. He walked up behind her and leaned over this perfect specimen to give her a kiss on the cheek. _

_Lulu turned slightly and their lips met in a passionate kiss, tongues dancing together. She pulled him down to her, which caught Dante by surprise and he lost his balance and fell on top of her. They pulled away from their kiss and smiled at each other. Lulu scooted over so that Dante could fit himself next to her in the chair. He slung his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. Life was good._

Once Dante was settled and had been sleeping for a few hours, Sonny, Olivia and Lulu decided the best thing was to take shifts staying with Dante. This way, someone was always with him and the others could get some sleep, change clothes or just take a breath**. **Sonny sat with him first, knowing the medications would prevent Dante from waking up. This was good because Sonny knew that Dante would have been less than pleased to wake up and see Sonny hovering over him. The good news was that he was holding his own. They had removed him from the respirator and he seemed to be breathing ok with just an oxygen mask.

Lulu went back to Maxie's apartment to take a nap, then shower and change clothes. She felt Dante needed her near him. She hoped he would be able to feel her presence and that it would give him the will to live. Lulu felt partially responsible for Dante's reckless behavior. She had, after all, seen this coming. It was why she had moved out; she couldn't stand to watch him self-destruct and she had felt her efforts to get him to understand how his attitude was only hurting himself were falling on deaf ears, so she had left him. She hadn't figured that he would actually survive his next crisis, and yet here he was. Granted, it seemed he was more dead than alive, but he WAS alive, and Lulu knew she loved him and was going to fight for him.

Olivia sat by Dante's bedside and took his hand into hers. She had stopped counting the times Epiphany had called to tell her Dante was back in the hospital for an emergency. Dante had always seemed fearless, and sometimes downright cocky, but she had always trusted that he was careful. The last few months had changed all that. She had never imagined how Dante would fall apart when he found out he was Sonny's son. Dante had always been strong, determined and fun-loving. She was so proud of the man he had grown into, especially when he decided to become a cop. They had struggled with their relationship after Sonny shot him and it was revealed he was Sonny's son, but Dante eventually accepted the reasons Olivia had kept his father's identity from him and she thought all was well. Dante had found the love of his life, had a great job with the PCPD and was on the verge of bringing down one of the biggest crime lords on the Eastern Seaboard. But then she had seen the cracks start to appear and Dante had started lashing out at the ones he loved and doing things that showed his vulnerability. Then Lulu had moved out and he grew despondent. Months ago, Olivia would have said that his getting shot was the worst thing that could happen to him, but seeing him like this—silent, bandaged, defeated, and hooked up to all those machines — she knew she needed to step in. She needed to talk to Lulu about a strange dream she had a few nights before his accident.

_Dante had Lulu in his arms. He had never felt this kind of love for a woman before. Sure, he had been with others, but nothing compared to the love that overwhelmed him when he was with Lulu. She made him feel as if he could take on the world. He wanted to protect her. Dante started to undo her shirt but was fumbling with the delicate buttons. He started to yank at them when he realized his fingers weren't going to get the job done quickly. Lulu giggled and stilled his hands, putting a stop to him ruining her shirt. She carefully unbuttoned her shirt to reveal a lacy bra hugging her already erect breasts due to the cool, but comfortable, night air. Dante leaned over and kissed each one tenderly. His hands were running up and down her skin from her shoulders to her hips. She felt herself mold into his body as he moved his kisses from her breasts to her lips. He couldn't hold himself back and knew he wasn't going to stop with kisses. He wanted her, he needed her. He rolled his body over until he was straddling between her legs. He looked deep into her eyes wondering if he could really ever tell her how much she meant to him, if making love to her was enough to show her his desire for her. He kissed her again, dipping his tongue down deep to meet hers. Dante knew he wasn't moving from the position they were in. Lulu was wearing yoga pants; it was easy for him to take his hands on either side of her hips and give them a tug, telling her what he wanted. _

Lulu arrived at the hospital armed with an idea for getting Dante back on track once his physical wounds healed, but she needed to talk to Olivia and his doctors. She'd had a strange dream a few days ago about a cottage that sat near a cliff overlooking the ocean. This cottage would provide the perfect setting to carry out her plan. Lulu walked into Dante's room, and saw Olivia sitting by his side. Olivia had a strained look on her face that worried her. Lulu had asked Lainey to meet her in Dante's room so she could get her opinion on the idea she wanted to discuss with Olivia. She was confident they would embrace her idea for helping Dante. However, the look in Olivia's eyes made her think it wouldn't matter. Something was wrong with Dante. She felt it. She began to get a sick feeling in the pit of stomach. Then Lulu noticed that Dante was struggling to catch his breath and he looked pale. His breathing had been fine when she left several hours ago.

"What's wrong?" Lulu finally mustered the strength to get the words out of her mouth, a look of fear on her face.

"Dr. Webber just left. " Olivia said. "He says Dante's developed an infection and he may have pneumonia. They took a chest x-ray to find out for sure, and they're giving him more humidified oxygen to help him breathe. They may put him on some other meds once the tests come back. I hope this clears everything up because I'm scared to death the smoke inhalation has permanently damaged his lungs." Olivia was terrified and it showed.

"I'm not sure what to do to help him. The oxygen alone doesn't seem to be enough," Olivia continued, her voice shaking.

Lulu stepped forward to kiss Dante on the forehead and was startled to find that it was hot with fever. She listened for a moment to Dante's uneven breathing and was gripped by the fear that he would never come out of this coma alive. She was seriously worried about the beating his whole body took this time. Not only did the pneumonia sound bad, his concussion, classified as a Grade III because he lost consciousness for over five minutes, could easily mean additional complications for him, as could the burns that had ravaged his back and shoulders.

Horrified that she had even let the thought enter her head, Lulu resolutely focused her mind on Dante's recovery and tried to show Olivia she was confident the doctors could fix anything that was physically wrong with Dante. She knew that once Dante woke up he was going to pay dearly for his heroism. His physical recovery was going to take a few months, but getting him back on track, mentally and emotionally, was going to take even longer. The more she thought about it, the more Lulu felt convinced Dante would continue to do anything he could to dispel the rumors that he was going to turn into a Sonny clone, and that it would likely cost him his life. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end anytime she thought about it. Was it possible Dante COULD turn into Sonny? Although she couldn't fathom that happening, she knew that what SHE thought didn't matter anymore. What mattered was what Dante thought. She had known he was struggling with his identity. They had talked extensively about it. But she hadn't realized the depth of his anguish or how seriously the knowledge that he was Sonny's son had undermined his confidence until today. She had mistaken insecurity for stubbornness and she'd almost lost him as a result. She had witnessed the seed of doubt that had been planted in Dante's head, but she hadn't realized before how aggressively it had taken root there and it was clear that he needed help to overcome it. Lulu knew that NOW was the time to talk to Olivia so they could start putting her plan in motion. Lulu needed Olivia to focus on what they needed to do once Dante was out of the coma and on the road to recovery.

_Dante's lips met Lulu's. As he pulled on Lulu's pants, she laughed out loud. It was so easy for him to love her. Even in the cool air, the heat exuded from their lovemaking made them feel as if they were in a sauna. Her pants were discarded on the deck. Dante rose from his lover's body and unzipped his pants and started to pull them off, but Lulu stopped him. She carefully leaned up from the chaise and slid his pants and boxers down and off his legs. She gently laid them beside hers. Dante snuggled against Lulu's body and entered her tenderly. They made love under the moonlight as if it were to be their last night. They moved in unison, while Dante kissed Lulu's breasts, moving up to kiss her neck. Lulu's hands ran up and down Dante's sides and she kissed his chest, making sure to take special care at the scar between his breastbones. They continued their rhythmic movements together with Dante's groans and Lulu's heavy breathing playing like a love song. Dante whispered into Lulu's ear, "I love you so much," as he plunged himself deeper into Lulu's passion. Dante pulled Lulu to him thrusting harder and faster as they both neared the end to their amazing lovemaking. Once they had finished, they both laid together bodies entwined, satisfied they would be this way forever. _

Then Dante couldn't breathe. He felt as if someone was trying to cut off his air supply and he started to gasp…

Alarms were going off, but Olivia and Lulu already knew there was a problem because of his labored breathing. Lulu ran out of Dante's room, yelling for help. Dr. Webber and two nurses rushed into his room and examined Dante for clues to the cause of his breathing trouble. The chest tube was inserted correctly and no external problems were detected, so even though the chest x-rays weren't back yet, Dr. Webber concluded that it had to be pneumonia. They gave him a bronchodilator to increase the amount of oxygen to his lungs. The drug had an almost immediate effect. Though still labored, his breathing eased and he no longer thrashed about.

Lulu and Olivia stood back out of the way of the physicians and nurses. Lulu couldn't believe she might not get the chance to tell Dante she loved him. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach he was giving up his fight for survival. But she wasn't going to let that happen, she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't try to give him the strength to fight, to breathe.

Dr. Webber came over and spoke to Lulu and Olivia. He said he was going to start Dante on an aggressive round of antibiotics. He told them he was ordering an oxygen tent to increase the amount of oxygen going to Dante's lungs. Steve explained that this was only temporary until the medications started to kick in, but until then, Dante needed this extra boost to keep him alive. If it didn't work, he'd have to go back on the ventilator. .

Lulu walked over to Dante's side and took his hand into hers. She rubbed his arm, bent down and kissed his forehead. Even though his eyes were closed, she looked directly at Dante's face as if she could see through his eyelids and could see those dark, intense eyes for herself. She smiled remembering the times they had looked into each other's eyes and said, "I love you". She caressed Dante's cheek and bent down to whisper in his ear,

"Don't give up your fight. You have to get through this for us." She took a breath wishing she could do the same for him.

"You have so much life left in you, Dante Falconeri, we have a life we were still planning. Remember, you told me you had it all mapped out, a wife, a couple of kids, a white picket fence. You can't let that slip through your fingers when you were so close. I won't let you go, ever again. You've been my knight in shining armor. Dante, I'm telling you, fight for our future."

The attendants brought in the oxygen tent and set it up. Dr. Webber stopped by to check on his status again and confirmed to them that the chest x-rays did, indeed, indicate pneumonia. Then, Olivia and Lulu were left alone with Dante.

Seeing him in this weakened state was hard to watch. They both knew the oxygen was helping heal Dante's damaged lungs, but he seemed distant in the tent, as if he were slipping away. They knew the coma was a merciful necessity for him; when he woke up he would be in tremendous physical pain. But a silent Dante was something neither of the women were accustomed to. Lulu longed for one of his cheesy come-ons, and Olivia would have given her right arm for his cheery, "Hey, Ma." They sat together by his bed as they continued their vigil. Occasionally one of them would speak and let Dante know they were there, valiantly offering him encouragement, but mostly they were silent, each wrapped in her own thoughts and prayers.

Dante continued to show signs of respiratory distress through the rest of the day and into the night. His fever was evidence that his body was now fighting infection in addition to his other injuries, and it scared Lulu and Olivia to death. He looked awful –– pale, sweaty, and exhausted. As they watched him in his troubled sleep they each wondered silently if he had any incentive to wake up, given the extent of his injuries. His body now seemed to be a sad symbol of the emotional turmoil he had experienced over the last few months, and both women now realized that healing Dante's psychological scars were perhaps even more vital to his recovery than many of his physical injuries.

Sonny arrived to begin his shift with Dante and encouraged both women to go home and get some rest. Though they understood Sonny's desire to spend some time alone with his son, neither could bring herself to leave the hospital while Dante's condition was so critical. So, they decided to go to the cafeteria for some coffee and candid conversation.

Sitting at one of the tables, Lulu was the first to voice her concerns.

"Olivia," she ventured, "I think if Dante is going to get through this he needs more help than he can get here in Port Charles."

Olivia's tired eyes reflected concern in their depths as she dropped her chin into her hands and propped her elbows on the table. "What, do you mean, Lulu? The doctors here are excellent. I don't know what anyone else could do for him that isn't being done."

Lulu dropped her gaze to her hands that were folded in her lap. "He seems lost, Olivia... I feel weird saying this to you because he's your son and you've known him so much longer and better than any of the rest of us. But from the moment he found out he's Sonny's son, something changed in him. At first he seemed intent on proving that he shares nothing with Sonny but DNA... You know… he kept finding ways to show that he's one of the good guys. But… it's like that wasn't enough… and now he's trying to destroy some part of himself … as if he's discovered something inside him that he can't respect… and maybe a part that he can't allow himself or anyone else to love. " Lulu spoke haltingly, but with conviction, scarcely daring to look up to see how her words might be affecting the woman across from her.

Olivia took a moment to respond, and when she did, her voice was rich with emotion. "Lulu, I have a wonderful son. The best I could ever ask for. He's strong, and he's good, and he's kind. And I see now, more than ever, how blessed he is to have you in his life. You're right. He's devastated... I knew he wasn't handling it well. I saw it, but nothing I said to him seemed to help so I just kept hoping he'd pull himself together and get back on track. I truly didn't know what to do... I still don't. But I have to do something. I know that now. My son is hurting emotionally and I've GOT to figure out a way to help him before it's too late." She sighed and blinked back the tears that had started to form, "That is, if it's not already too late. My poor Dante! His life has been in constant danger or turmoil ever since he came to Port Charles. I mean, really, how much can one person take before self-destructing?"

"Well, Dante isn't just ANY person, Olivia. We both know how special he is and I have to believe that he hasn't run out of chances yet. I love him and I want to help him so we can have a chance at a life together. I think I know now what will help him, but I can't do it alone. I'll need your help if this is going to work."

"Lulu, I am all ears if you think you have an idea to help my son. What is it you think he needs that he can't get here in Port Charles?"

"Peace," Lulu said softly. "There are too many voices here, too many people trying to get his attention, too many people trying to manipulate him, and too many people doubting him. There's Sonny, who's constantly trying to force a relationship on him. There's Michael, Morgan and Kristina, who he feels responsible for protecting. There's Mac, who wants him to prove he can still be a good cop. There's Claire, who's always telling him he may as well go work for his daddy. Ronnie, his friend who should know him well enough to stand up for him, can't seem to trust that he still wants Sonny to go to prison. Carly wants him to lie for Sonny and the boys, and Jason wants to kill him. On top of all that, he worries constantly about you, Olivia, because of your relationship with Johnny. He's totally conflicted with himself because he lied about Sonny shooting him. And what did I do? I left him because I couldn't see that his recklessness was just a way to escape all the turmoil. I thought it was a case of having something to prove, but the more I think about it the more I feel certain there was more to it than that. Olivia, he has such a big heart, I don't think he could take the thought that no matter what he did, people he wanted to protect were going to suffer. He's been in a no win situation for months now and, whether he even knows it or not, I think he's been looking for an honorable way out."

"You think Dante is suicidal?" Olivia looked at her incredulously.

"Nooo. Not exactly that. But I don't think he's thinking straight. He's been so focused on what's right in the eyes of the law, what constitutes the greater good, and who poses the biggest threat to the people he's supposed to protect… I just think he'd welcome ANY kind of break from his reality at this point, even if it meant a coma… or worse." Lulu stole another nervous glance at Olivia. "That's why I want to get him away from Port Charles. He needs to get away from all the voices so he can hear his own again."

"Do you have a specific place in mind? What exactly are you thinking? He's got a long road ahead of him before he'd be well enough to travel. " Olivia pointed out.

"Not a specific place, more of an idea. Something inside me is telling me to get him out of here, as soon as possible. This may sound strange but I had this dream and it just feels right…"

"A dream, Lulu? Tell me about this dream." Olivia interrupted, interested.

Lulu went on to describe her dream and Olivia revealed that she, too, had visited a similar place in her sleep within the last week. They compared notes and discussed how much damage Dante's emotional pain was affecting his chances for survival. Two hours later, they knew what they needed to do. They just needed to discuss logistics with Dr. Webber and Dr. Drake. Future daughter-in-law and mother-in-law had everything else worked out.

By mid-afternoon the next day, Dr. Webber was able to get Dante's breathing back into a normal rhythm and his fever was down a little. He ordered the tent to be kept up until the morning and said he would check back in a few hours. Steve turned to Lulu and Olivia and said "Dante is strong. He's showing signs that he's fighting to live, which makes me optimistic. He has a number of hurdles to get over, but I think he has it in him to come back from this latest stunt of his. However, I have to be honest and tell you that I strongly believe that if he doesn't start to slow down and resolve some of his issues he might not survive another crisis."

Lulu jumped in. "Steve, do you think it would be possible if as soon as Dante is able to travel if we could send him somewhere to convalesce? I know it sounds crazy, but Dante needs to get out of Port Charles –– someplace where he can think and reflect on these last few months. Somewhere he can get away from Sonny's trial and all the baggage that came with it. I know I can bring him back to us if I can get him out of here. You've got to trust me."

Steve looked at Lulu and started to shake his head 'no.' Assuming Dante survived this, he would be at risk for numerous complications for quite a while. But something told him to listen to Lulu. She had a determined look in her eye that told him saying 'no' wasn't going to cut it without some sort of guarantee that taking him away would put him at greater risk. Steve shrugged his shoulders and said "First things first. Let's get him out of this coma and see where he stands. I can't promise you anything until he's awake. He still has a fever and his lungs are not clear yet, but we think that at this point it's better not to suppress his nervous system any more than necessary. If all goes as planned, we are going to try to wake him up in the next 24 hours, but it will really be up to him as to if and when he wakes up."

Neither Lulu nor Olivia was prepared to hear that Dante might not come out of the coma. The looks on their faces registered the shock of the reality of what Dr. Webber had said. Olivia and Lulu looked at each other, trying to push away the awful possibility that Dante might not wake up from this. They had both assumed that since the coma was medically induced, the doctors could bring him out of it whenever they felt he was ready. But now it seemed that things were getting more complicated by the hour. Both women walked over to Dante and wanted so desperately to touch him, but the tent prevented them from getting as close as they wanted. Olivia wasn't going to do anything that could hurt Dante, so she mouthed the words "I love you, baby," and turned around and walked out the room. However, Lulu believed Dante could hear and feel his loved ones, so she bent as close to the tent as she could get and reached underneath it. She gently took his hand into hers and rubbed her thumb over the top of the only uninjured area.

"I'll be back tomorrow, Sleeping Beauty. So, when you open your eyes, I will be the first person you see. I want to take you out of this place. You've lost your way, your spirit, your drive, and I want you to get your life back and make it yours – again. That's what I fell in love with."

Lulu pulled her hand out from under the tent, backed up and headed toward the door. As she turned her head, to catch one last glimpse of her boyfriend, a single tear ran down her face.

Please Review! Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry it took so long to update. We had a hard time coordinating our schedules. Hopefully you'll find it worth the wait!_

**Chapter Three** - _Because, on some level, it's ALWAYS about Sonny. _;-)

The next two and a half days brought little change to Dante's condition. His vital signs were not what Dr. Webber had hoped for, but he was holding his own. However, a new concern was emerging: Dante had not yet awakened. They had discontinued the meds that were keeping him in a coma almost 48 hours ago and, as of yet, he was showing no signs of consciousness.

Though little change was apparent in Dante, those 48 hours had definitely taken their toll on those who loved him. The fear and stress were evident in all of them. Exhaustion and anxiety oozed from Lulu and Olivia's pores, as they sat tensely and waited for a sign that Dante was not lost to them. But with each passing hour that he lay still and unresponsive, hopelessness crept into their hearts and slowly filled the room until the despair was almost suffocating.

Sonny couldn't sit still. He knew he couldn't go home; hell he knew he wasn't even thinking clearly when he couldn't decide on what he wanted in his coffee. Only when he was in Dante's room could Sonny manage to quiet his restlessness. The whole idea of the three of them taking shifts at the hospital had fallen apart. They still traded off spending time alone with Dante in his room, but there was no way any of them could be persuaded to leave the hospital. They paced, they sat, they prayed, and they tried to remember to breathe. If three people ever had the power to will someone back into consciousness, Dante would have been home free. But, as if held hostage by those damn stubbornness genes he'd inherited from both the Falconeri and Corinthos clans, Dante remained terrifyingly still and lost somewhere they could not reach him.

Lulu's body ached all over. Other than that, she was numb. Her mind and heart were frozen with the fear that she could actually be facing a future without Dante in it. She and Olivia had agreed to get Dante out of town at the first opportunity to aid in his recovery, but now all those plans appeared to be nothing more than wishful thinking on their parts; a pointless plan that would never be implemented. After almost 40 hours of waiting for him to wake up, Lulu had succumbed to her fears and now sat staring out a window with tears streaming down her face, torturing herself with a litany of mental "What if's?"

Olivia was no better than Lulu — worse, probably. Losing Dante was unthinkable. He had been her world and her life since she was a child herself. He had been her focus for so long she couldn't fathom an existence where her wonderful, sweet, infuriating son was no more than a phone call away. She could not imagine never hearing his soft rumbling voice call her to say "I love you, Ma!" But after watching the medical staff and seeing their concern build with each passing hour, it seemed inevitable that was what was going to happen. Dante simply wasn't responding. She wandered back to the chapel, sank into a pew, and rocked back and forth in quiet anguish. She was so tired she could no longer formulate a coherent prayer for her son, so she had no choice but to surrender her heart and all it contained to the hands of her maker.

Maxie had stopped by with overnight bags for Lulu, Olivia and even Sonny. In an uncharacteristic show of empathy she had enlisted Johnny and Spinelli's assistance in getting some clothes and toiletries for all three of Dante's loved ones so they could freshen up and yet stay close. While Maxie was known more for her self-centered, over the top dramatic behavior, she did know one thing; she knew the hell of families sitting vigil in a hospital with someone they loved. She had watched her own family do it for her more than once. Lulu didn't really care what she looked like, but figured that a shower would give her a few moments alone and maybe the hot water would break through the bone-chilling numbness she couldn't shake.

When Lulu left Dante's side to shower, Sonny slipped back into his room. The nurse had just left and he didn't want to waste a minute of time with his son. He knew that if Dante woke up, he'd rather wake to the sight of Lulu's face, or Olivia's, but at the moment Sonny didn't care. He felt a compelling need to be with Dante. After talking with Olivia, he was beginning to understand the depth of Dante's torment and Sonny's instinct was to protect him. On some level Sonny knew that sounded ridiculous, as he was the cause of that torment. But his heart overruled his head and he figured if Dante could hear him and got pissed and regained consciousness if only to tell Sonny to get lost, he would take it. At this point Sonny would take Dante telling him to "go to hell" so long as it meant he woke up and lived.

Sonny slowly folded himself into the chair beside Dante's bed. He hated this chair; it was hard and unyielding and seemed wrong. Sonny thought that soft, comfortable chairs should be provided so that family could sit beside their loved ones and will them back to health. He remembered hating the chair every time he'd sat by Michael's bedside after he was shot and then again after his surgery. Maybe when this was over Sonny would donate some money to upgrade the furniture at GH. Realizing that his mind was wandering off, Sonny mentally shook himself back to reality and focused on his son. Dante's face was expressionless as he slept. Not even a hint of consciousness played on his features. Were it not for his labored breathing he would have looked almost peaceful in his rest. But Sonny was now looking at his son with different eyes. The passive look on Dante's face masked the turmoil inside that, ironically, was giving rise to a deeper connection between father and son.

In the stillness of the hospital room, Sonny felt Dante's demons. They unnerved him at first, but something vaguely resembling a sense of power stirred inside him because he understood what it was like to wage this kind of battle. This, at least, was familiar territory. Lulu was right, he acknowledged. For the first time, Sonny recognized the landmarks of the dark emotional battleground onto which Dante had fallen.

Sonny's pulse quickened and he pulled his chair closer to Dante's oxygen tent, resting his elbows on the bed and leaning forward so that he was mere inches from Dante with only the plastic of the tent separating them. Swallowing hard, he paused for a moment, his face in his hands, rallying his strength for what promised to be an emotional, albeit one-sided, conversation with his eldest son.

Not really knowing what he was going to say, Sonny began to speak, haltingly at first, his voice soft and cracking with emotion. His words were punctuated with deep pauses as he cautiously attempted to bridge the chasm between them.

"I, uh… I know you don't like me or respect me. But I'm your father and I need to be here, just as if it were Michael, Morgan or Kristina lying in that bed. Like it or not, you're my son and if there is ANY chance at all that I can help you, I owe it to you to make sure I'm here for you. We didn't get a chance to know each other the way a father and son should. I will regret that forever. But you need to know something. Although we don't agree about a lot of things and probably never will, I want you to know that I respect you. Your mother did a great job of raising you and you are a good man. You're strong and you're smart, and you put other people's needs before your own. Like I told you when you were in the hospital after you saved Morgan, if he turns out to be the kind of man you are, I'll be proud."

"All I've ever wanted is to have the power to protect my family," Sonny said, and couldn't stop the derisive chuckle that followed those words as even to his own ears they sounded hollow and impotent. Life had proven to him over and over, that all the power in the world was never enough to protect those he loved. Especially, when more often than not the thing they needed to be protected from was Sonny and his world

"You know how well that's worked out, don't you?" he continued. "In a lot of ways, you've done a better job of that in the short time we've known you than I've ever managed. You saved Morgan. You pushed me out of the way of gunfire. You gave Krissy someone to talk to when she needed someone. And, although I don't agree AT ALL with your methods, I know you've tried to help Michael. The difference is that you trust a broken system, I trust myself and my own people. And I'm not saying that has always worked out for the best. Hell we both know it hasn't, but it's what I know."

"The thing is… the system has never worked for me. I would like to trust it, especially now. You make me want to trust it because I see how hard you work for it and how passionately you believe in it, and I know how smart you are. The problem is, though, you're idealistic and I'm anything but that. Here's the thing, though, and you need to own this, Dante… We are a lot alike—more than you'll probably ever know and although I don't ever see myself getting out of the mob — I tried that already and crapped out — knowing you has changed me. Finding out you're my son has changed me. Seeing the man you became, and knowing that you are my son, that goes DEEP! A father's relationship with his son is a special thing… and… you make me want to be a better person."

Sonny shifted in his chair, his eyes scanning Dante's face for signs of consciousness, as he continued.

"You make me believe that since a part of me is in you, and you turned out to be this upstanding man whose instincts are usually to do the "right" law abiding thing, that there might be some part deep inside me that could maybe try that too. Try to think things through a little more, not just always react and be on the defensive. Not always assume that the system can't or won't work for me or my family.. I… I don't know if I can be a better person, but I'm willing to try. The choices I've made… there's no turning back from some of them. You know that. But I'm going to try because you've made it important to me to try to do… better. What that means, I'm not really sure yet, but I wanted you to know that. I thought it might matter to you."

"Olivia and Lulu… they have a plan to help you recover from this. Hah! They are a couple of determined women and there's no way in Hell I'm gonna get in their way! But I want to help too. I don't want you worrying about hospital bills or any costs for your recovery or anything. I know that as a cop, you don't want to accept anything from me and maybe you can't. I don't want to create any problems for you. But we'll figure something out, cuz I've got money and the one thing I can give you is access to the best care money can buy. I kind of figure it's the least I can do. I'll talk to Diane about that. I just don't want you to worry about money. We'll figure out the rest of it as we go."

Sonny paused a minute, wanting to ignore the demons he felt lurking in Dante's subconscious, but knowing that this was not a time for holding back.

"And there's something else. You need to know, Dante, that I have some experience with some of what you're going through. I mean… you grew up without a father and I know that caused you a lot of pain. And because of how I was raised, when Mike came along and reached out to me and wanted to build a relationship, I pushed him away. It took a long time for us to get to where we are now, and I sometimes wonder—if I hadn't been so scared and angry—if he and I could have bonded and really connected. I regret that I wasted time and damaged our relationship because now that I've been a father for so long I realize what Mike was trying to do, and that in hurting him I also hurt myself. I still remember our conversation in the hospital after you saved Morgan when you confessed that you always wondered if you had somehow been the reason your father had stayed away. It was clear to me at that moment, despite how wonderful your mother was, that you carried a lot of pain with you because your father wasn't there." Sonny stopped for a moment and gazed at Dante, searching for any signs that he'd heard anything and was coming to, if for no other reason than to tell Sonny to shut up. But his son continued to lay still — such an unnatural state for a man who Sonny always thought of as being in perpetual motion.

Taking a deep breath, Sonny continued, "And then we found out that I'm your father, AFTER I shot you, and THAT caused you more pain. Lying about it caused you pain. Then what happened with Michael, how the system that you believed in, I guess still believe in, failed both of you, I know that caused you a lot of of pain too. And let's face it. The fact that I'm still walking around a free man has probably caused you even more pain. It has been piling up on you; taking one hit after another until you think you can't take anymore, I get that.…. You get enough pain in your life, it can do things to you — send you to dark places. I know because I've been there. I know what despair feels like and I know what it can do to you. I know that suffocating feeling of powerlessness and how it grips you and holds you down. And I know… how tempting it can be… to just give up. But you can't do that."

Sonny rose from his chair and started pacing the room as he continued in a stronger, more commanding voice.

"You have to understand that giving up is NOT an option, Dante. You're better than that. I've seen you face down death. And while it's true that sometimes choosing life takes more courage than facing death, I know you have what it takes inside you to do that… You've got unfinished business here. You've got a job to do and people who need you. Olivia, Lulu, Michael, Morgan, and Kristina all want you to stay. Their lives would be wrecked if they lost you."

"So here's the deal. You need to know that we ALL are trusting you to make the right decision. I know it's hard. I KNOW you feel compromised. I know you're probably exhausted from trying to make sense of your feelings and how this sudden family, complete with a "crime boss" father can possibly fit into your life and who you thought you were. And you've got to be damn confused about some things. Hell, I know I am! But, if you walk out on the game before it's over, you'll never know what kind of difference you could have made in the final score. And that's just not right."

Sonny's voice was starting to break and tears were forming in his eyes as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

"I haven't had many opportunities to give you advice; and I'm guessing that if you can hear me, you'd probably like to punch me for even being in here right now. But that's ok. Sometimes a parent's job is to get in their kid's face and tell them the truth, even if they don't want to hear it. You are my son and although I know you think I've got nothing you need. I say you're wrong, because I love you!... And everyone needs a father who loves them, Dante! Even if you never feel it or say it back to me, that's ok. Just knowing that I'm here, that you belong, that you're loved and wanted and accepted, with all your faults, cause we all have them. That alone has power. Like I said, Mike and I aren't that close, but knowing he is there and that he loves me… some days THAT is the thing that puts me over the top and makes moving forward possible. I want to do that for you. I'd like to do more. I'd like for us to be a real family... For you and your brothers and sister and I to make memories that we can all cherish. But even if we never do that… if all I EVER do for you is make it so that haunted look I saw in your eyes that day in the hospital — when you wondered if you were to blame for your father not being around—never appears again. That would be enough."

The room fell silent as Sonny finished, exhausted. The only sounds were those of the machines monitoring Dante's condition and the steady whirring of the oxygen pump. Completely spent, as much from lack of sleep as from his emotional soliloquy, Sonny looked at Dante, wondering if he had heard anything he'd said. With his face in his hands, he rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath to collect himself. In doing so, he turned slightly and caught sight of the two women in Dante's life standing in the doorway. Olivia had tears in her eyes and was smiling sympathetically. Lulu looked shell-shocked, and confused, but some of the anger that had been in her eyes whenever she looked at him since the shooting seemed to be gone. Sonny didn't know if he and Lulu would ever get back to where their relationship once had been, but if she at least trusted him not to hurt Dante again, that would be a victory. It appeared that the hate and the hurt they carried inside was diminishing a little.

Just as the silence between the three of them became awkward Dr. Webber arrived, walking between the women and passed Sonny to check Dante's vital signs. There appeared to be minimal change from earlier checks, because he frowned and stood looking at Dante for a few moments, as if trying to discern some mystery, before he spoke.

"His fever is going down and his lungs seem to be clearing a little, which tells me the pneumonia is starting to subside, but his pulse, respiration, oxygenation, and neuro signs are not what we'd like to see at this point. Although we need to keep him on oxygen, I want to remove the tent to see how Dante responds. Once he's out of the tent, you'll be able to touch him. There are a lot of studies that validate the power of therapeutic touch and I really think that kind of stimulation could benefit Dante right now. As long as he's able to maintain sufficient oxygenation with the mask I think its more important that he have more interaction and physical contact right now. "

Dr. Webber and a nurse quickly had the tent removed, and while Steve was making the appropriate notes in Dante's chart, the nurse carefully strapped the oxygen mask over Dante's nose and mouth and exited the room. Olivia and Lulu moved in and immediately made physical contact with Dante. They were happy to finally be able to touch him after so many hours and days separated by that horrible plastic sheeting. Olivia stroked his hair away from his forehead and Lulu grabbed his hand as tightly as she could and stroked his forearm. Sonny stood at the foot of his bed, his emotion etched in his face. Then quietly he reached out and gently laid his hand on the thin blanket covering his son's calf. It wasn't a real touch, not with the cotton barrier between them, but it felt like something, and if the only thing tethering Dante to this world were their hands, then Sonny would grab hold with both of his and fight for Dante's life until he had the strength or will to fight for it himself.

After finishing with his notes, and waiting a moment while Lulu and Olivia reconnected with Dante, Dr. Webber cleared his throat to get their attention and then proceeded to give them his prognosis as honestly and gently as he could.

"I'm encouraged that the pneumonia seems to be responding to the meds. That really is a good sign in terms of his survival. But his neurological condition concerns both Dr. Drake and me. That, and the lung damage he suffered in the fire present his biggest obstacles to recovery. We've not given up hope. We still believe he will come out of this. However, if he doesn't wake up in the next few hours, we will need to consider transferring him to a long term care facility because we've done about as much as we can for him here."

Those words hit everyone in the room hard. Long term care? Nobody in the room had even considered the possibility Dante would leave GH without waking from the coma! In their minds, survival had been synonymous with recovery. Tears stung their eyes, as the realization that one could come without the other stared them in the face.

Sonny walked over to Steve to make a respectful appeal on Dante's behalf.

"I know you've given everything this hospital has to give to keep Dante alive and we appreciate that, but I hope you know money isn't an issue with keeping him here. I'm sure the women will agree… We would prefer Dante to stay here. I think he has a better chance of waking up in a place that is more familiar to him."

Steve nodded in understanding, knowing how difficult it is for families to adjust to such news. Although he couldn't make any promises, he assured Sonny that he would do his best to keep Dante at GH as long possible, but cautioned Sonny that at some point that decision would be beyond his control. Then he left, saying he would be back soon to check on Dante.

After a few more hours, Sonny needed to get out of the room. He needed a breath of fresh air — something to help him clear his mind — not the stale, oppressive air of a hospital room where his son continued to resist consciousness. He walked over to Lulu and gave her a kiss on top of her head, and was quietly thrilled when she leaned into him for a brief moment and allowed herself to be comforted by that simple human contact. He then rested a hand briefly on Olivia's shoulder, giving it a squeeze and told them he was leaving for a few minutes. As he left, his mind wandered back to the day he first met Dante, and for a moment at least, Sonny smiled.

Sitting as close to Dante as she possibly could, Lulu knew it was unlikely he had heard any of Sonny's conversation; but she understood that Sonny needed to say what he did, just so he could move on, just in case…

Lulu fought a wave of fear and realized she could not allow such musings. She needed to be strong for Dante. She stubbornly pushed the unwelcome thoughts from her mind and grasped Dante's hand more tightly and massaged his fingers. Worn out, she was functioning solely on adrenaline. She and Olivia had excitedly noted that over the last hour the numbers had risen slightly on Dante's pulse oximeter: His oxygenation had risen by 2 points! It was a small victory, but the women clung to the hope it gave them as if their own lives depended on it.

Sparing a sideways glance at Olivia, her body strung so tensely, her bloodshot eyes catalogue every minute detail of her child, Lulu wondered if perhaps Olivia's life did depend on it. She had always envied Olivia and Dante's relationship. She had never seen such a close, functional relationship between parent and child before. Sure, Carly loved her kids; but she did it in such a smothering overbearing way that it ultimately proved to be more harmful than anything else. And Lulu knew that her mother loved her, but circumstances had been such that they had never been able to establish any sort of long term relationship, much less one based on a lifetime of shared memories and challenges. But Olivia and Dante, they had a connection that was special. Maybe it was because they were so close in age that in a sense they had grown up together. There were times that Lulu thought they were more like brother and sister; and then in a heartbeat they slipped back into their mother/son roles again. But looking at Olivia now, Lulu wondered how Olivia would go on without Dante. He had defined her life; he and his safety had given her purpose for so long. What would she do if this one time she could not protect or save him?

Watching Lulu tenderly care for her son, Olivia realized that as much as she wanted to stay in Dante's room, to talk to him and touch him, her job as his protector and the number one woman in his life was coming to an end. Lulu was taking on that role. She had been so thrilled when her sweet boy, who had always been respectful to the women he dated, but never seemed inclined to risk his heart, fell hard and fast for this blonde spitfire. The first time she had seen them together she knew he had found the woman for him. Olivia had secretly envisioned him coming to her to ask her advice about proposing to Lulu. Imagined how handsome he'd be on his wedding day. And pictured the tears of joy she would gently wipe from his face when he introduced her to her first grandchild. Knowing how well suited Dante and Lulu were for each other, Olivia would have been perfectly happy with this transition under normal circumstances. But now, caught in this cruel twist of fate, the thought that he might never again respond to Lulu's loving touch wrenched her motherly heart.

Lulu gazed at Dante's face as she rubbed his forearm. She felt he simply HAD to wake up soon. There was no other option. She thought back to the first time she met Dante and smiled. Lulu would have sworn she had no more tears left in her, but as she remembered their first game of pool, the beating he took from her brothers, and his wiseass remarks, fresh tears appeared in her eyes and fell like a tiny rainstorm into Dante's upturned hand. She reached for a tissue on the stand beside her and jumped as she thought she felt his arm twitch!

Lulu gasped and looked at Olivia in disbelief, whispering, her heart caught in her throat, "Did you see that?"

Olivia was already on her feet, her hands over her mouth in shock.

"Have our prayers been answered?" Olivia asked, scarcely daring to hope. "Let's see if it happens again."

Lulu gently wiped the tears from the palm of his hand and, again, his fingers twitched.

"Oh Heavenly Father, please let it be true! I need to find Dr. Webber." Olivia ran out of the room in search of both Steve and Sonny.

Lulu reached for the button that alerted the nurse's station of an emergency and pushed it with an urgency she hadn't used before. As she stood up, she leaned forward and whispered into Dante's ear.

"Do you hear me, Dante? Are you coming back to me?" Her hair brushed his cheek.

Lulu continued to talk to Dante. She wanted to make sure he HEARD her and it wasn't just some involuntary muscle spasm. She said to him, very sternly, but with a hint of urgency,

"It's time to wake up, Dante. We have so much to do, so many plans to finish."

Slowly, though his eyes were still closed, Dante turned his face toward the sound of her voice. She could hear a faint moan escape his lips.

He was waking up! Lulu was sure he knew she was there! He moaned again, so she sat on the edge of the bed and moved the oxygen mask off his face temporarily so she could touch his face as she continued to encourage him to come back to her. She watched as lines of stress crept into his face, signaling that his body was beginning to register the pain from his injuries. She stroked his forehead soothingly with one hand, and used the other to caress his cheek and trace his sensitive lips with her thumb. She was doing everything she could to try to elicit a greater response from Dante. Her voice reached out to him, compelling him to emerge from the shadows of his stupor.

"I love you, Dante Angelo Falconeri, nothing is ever going to keep us apart again – you may think you have it hard right now, but you wait 'til I get a hold of you!"

And with those words, Lulu knew Dante was there! Literally, from the brink of death, he had come back to her, As she looked at him in pure joy, he turned his face into her hand seeking out more of her touch and she saw a smile creep across his face, the smile that had been missing for so long.

_Please review! Should we keep going?_


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry it took so long to update! Hope you enjoy it!_

**Chapter 4 – healing**

The next several days flew by. After Dante woke up, everyone was able to go to their respective homes and get some much needed rest while the doctors ran tests. Lulu knew there were some bad days coming and she wanted to make sure she was ready to handle whatever was thrown her way. Getting the rest she needed so she could be there for Dante was the most important item on her list. She slept for over 14 hours that first night, but once she woke up she was ready for battle.

And a battle it was. Dante was proving to be a difficult patient. Waking from the coma was only the first step for Dante. He didn't bounce back as quickly as he had with his previous injuries. In pain and weak from his injuries, Dante was also showing some confusion about what had happened the night of the fire. In fact, he didn't remember it at all. But the one thing he did remember, when he had been wheeled into GH right after the accident, was Lulu taking him by the hand and telling him she would be waiting for him. She had willed him to come back to her. It was her determination that kept him alive.

Struggling with pain, frustrated in his recovery, and confused by his cloudy memory, Dante was aware of only one need. He needed Lulu. He might have been groggy when he awoke from his coma, but he couldn't have been happier, seeing Lulu sitting there when he opened his eyes. Dante felt he might actually have her back. Now, all Dante could think about was getting hold of Lulu and never letting go. He needed her more than ever and he wanted out of the hospital – NOW! He had a vague memory of a dream he had about a cottage when he was in the coma. He wanted to talk to her about his dream and the possibility of them finding a place like the one in his dream to visit. He felt maybe he could recuperate quicker if just the two of them could steal away to a hideaway near the ocean. But, considering he was still too weak to get out of bed unassisted, he knew that his idea would have to wait for a while.

Because Dante was confused, uncomfortable, and impatient, the nurses continually found him trying to get out of bed and suggested giving him a sedative to help him settle down. However, Dr. Webber didn't want to give him any more medications that would depress his nervous system. Steve had a suspicion that an allergy or sensitivity to those meds may have prevented Dante from coming out of his coma as quickly as they had predicted he would. So, the doctor decided against any more sedatives, choosing instead to just allow Dante (and the nurses) to "tough it out."

Sonny continued to hover near Dante's room for a few hours each day. He'd ventured in, once, when Dante was asleep. The last time he'd been in there Dante had seemed almost beyond his reach, his consciousness shrouded so deeply it was frightening, as if he was being pulled away by an unseen tide. Desperate to help him, Sonny had instinctively dug in his heels and fought to reach his son. Although he had no idea of knowing whether Dante had actually heard anything he'd said to him, Sonny wanted to believe that he had… and that it had made a difference. After Dante woke up, Sonny had gone to the hospital hoping to visit with his son, even briefly. He yearned to see evidence that Dante had heard and perhaps been touched by his father's words, But something told him it was too soon. Dante was too uncomfortable and too disoriented to tolerate Sonny's presence. So, in an uncharacteristic gesture of self-control, Sonny held back. Once, however, as he hung in the hallway and glanced into Dante's room, he noticed Dante was sleeping and Sonny couldn't resist the urge to go near him.

He'd crept into the room quietly and slipped noiselessly into a chair. He found it comforting to watch his son sleep normally. In truth, it wasn't exactly a peaceful sleep; Dante's face showed lines of discomfort, his breathing was still a bit erratic, and he shifted uncomfortably in his sleep. But to Sonny, it was a grand improvement. Just knowing that Dante was conscious again was a vast relief, and Sonny even took pleasure in hearing that his son was being difficult and combative at times. It meant he hadn't given up the fight. Still, he wondered where he stood with Dante. Had anything changed between them? Sonny's main concern was Dante's health, but he couldn't help but hope that somehow Dante would come through this with less hostility toward him. As Sonny pondered the recent events he noticed Dante starting to wake.

Dante's eyes opened sleepily as he rolled his head to the side of the bed to see if he was alone. On seeing Sonny sitting there, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. He paused a moment before speaking.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he murmered with unmasked annoyance.

"Well, I don't see what the mystery is, Dante! You're my son and you almost died. I wanted to see for myself how you're doing… that you're going to be ok."

"Ok... Well, as you can see, I'm doing just fine… So you can leave now," Dante replied dismissively, looking away.

"All right, I'll leave. I don't want to upset you." Sonny said reluctantly, rising from the chair. "I just needed to see for myself how you were doing. You can understand that, can't you? You're my blood." Sonny's eyes pleaded for understanding.

Tiredly, Dante replied, "What you do doesn't really matter to me, Sonny. I know our genetic relationship means something to you, but it means nothing to me. Would you please just leave me alone?"

"I will, for now. But before I go… I just want to know something. When you were in the coma, do you remember… could you hear ANYTHING that people said to you?" Sonny asked hopefully.

"ARE YOU GONNA GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE ON YOUR OWN, OR DO I HAVE TO CALL THE NURSE?" Dante spat out furiously. Adrenaline flooded his body causing his pulse rate to rocket.

Sonny wisely disengaged. "I'm sorry I upset you. If there's anything I can do to help your recovery I hope you or Olivia will let me know. I love you, son." And with that, he opened the door and left.

Dante was miserable. He hated that Sonny had been in his room, watching him possessively as he slept. He felt lousy. His heart was pounding, his body hurting, and his spirit wounded. He lay in bed, alone in his room, tapping his foot nervously against the bed sheets, trying to ignore the stab of sympathy he'd felt when he noticed the anguish in Sonny's eyes.

As much as Sonny's visit upset Dante, Lulu's visits were like a wonder drug. Dr. Webber noticed that when Lulu visited, Dante's mood dramatically changed for the better. His restlessness decreased and his general well-being improved. Thus, Steve encouraged Lulu to stay as much as possible so Dante could relax and get the rest he needed to recover more quickly. Lulu had no problem with that. Though their conversations were brief due to his limited strength, she wanted to make sure Dante understood that what had happened in the past was in the past, and they could move forward together.

_The past, Lulu had to admit, was complicated. The highway accident in which Dante had daringly rescued the trapped woman, causing Lulu to leave Dante, was preceded by Lulu's miscarriage… _

_Few people had known she was pregnant. Unplanned, the baby had been __a surprise to both Lulu and Dante; and they had just barely come to terms with the fact that they were going to be parents when Carly's plan for revenge backfired and Lulu lost the baby in a devastating turn of events. Despite Carly's treachery, __Lulu secretly blamed herself, thinking her previous abortion might have contributed to her body failing her. __Dante, on the other hand, shouldered the blame for causing Lulu so much stress. Unable to forgive himself for bringing so much turmoil into Lulu's life and, afraid to admit that Sonny was right when he said Dante would see things differently when he became a father, Dante became silent and withdrawn.__Consequently, when Lulu needed Dante the most, he was already shutting down emotionally._

_T__he pressure mounted between them until Lulu couldn't take it anymore and instead of fighting for what they had left, she bolted in true Spencer fashion. It was a mistake she regretted as soon as she had done it; but when Dante didn't come after her, she felt she must have truly lost him to the dark brooding genetics of Sonny Corinthos. Hurt and desperately confused, Lulu stayed away. From Dante's standpoint, he wanted more than anything to ask her to come back, but felt reasonably sure he was not in a position to offer her anything but more sadness and pain. So, in his mind he did the gentlemanly thing and let her go while he fell deeper into his abyss._

Shortly after Sonny's run-in with Dante, Lulu met Dr. Webber out in the hallway and asked him again about their original plan of taking Dante away from GH and Port Charles. Lulu was still convinced that Dante needed some peace and quiet as well as time to think and accept the changes in his life. In her heart, she also knew the two of them needed this time to heal as a couple if they ever were to consider being able to move forward together. Dante wasn't the only one who had emotional scars.

"So, Dr. Webber, when do you think we will be able to take Dante out of here? He's getting great care here, but I think he feels like a caged animal. I know he's still weak, but I'm really anxious to get him out of Port Charles so he can relax and get some distance from all the stress he's been under." Lulu was pushing an issue Dr. Webber wasn't sure he was ready to answer.

Dr. Webber chose his words carefully, knowing she wouldn't easily take "No" as an answer. "Lulu, as you are well aware, Dante is still on shaky ground. His motor skills are not fully optimal yet and he still doesn't remember the week before the accident, whether that's from the head injury or lingering effects from the medications we had him on, we don't know yet. And even though he's breathing mostly unassisted, his lungs are still compromised. His body took a terrible beating. I believe we need at least another week before we have this discussion."

Lulu was disappointed when she heard Dr. Webber's response, but she certainly didn't want to put Dante at risk by getting him released too soon. She hoped it would truly be only another week before he was strong enough to leave. Though she had to admit that he wasn't ready yet, it was equally obvious Dante needed a type of healing that no hospital could provide.

When she walked into his room, Dante's eyes lit up. Lulu walked over to him and gave him a kiss on his mouth, a deep lingering kiss. She sat down beside him, took his hand, and said, "So, how are you feeling today?"

Looking deep into his eyes as he waited for an answer, she noticed that, consistent with what Dr. Webber had said, Dante still had to think for a second before he replied. He also seemed to opt for short sentences to keep from tiring too easily.

"Better. My head doesn't hurt as much… The burns are healing pretty quick… and the best news yet – they let me get out of bed today and had me walk around the room." He seemed excited about that last bit of news, and then added, "Well, I had some help from Epiphany on that last one."

It was welcome news to Lulu. She gave Dante another kiss and entwined his hands with hers. "I knew you could do it!" She replied. Thinking maybe now would be a good time to share part of her plan with him, Lulu pulled away and walked over to grab the chair that was located next to the window. She wondered if Dante had been able to walk over to the window to feel the sunshine on his face when he had his therapy session. She moved the chair next to him, but hesitated before sitting down. "I love you Dante," she began. "You seem to be in better spirits than a few days ago, but I think you need to repair your heart as well as your body, and I know how to do it."

Dante had a quizzical look on his face trying to comprehend what she just said. "Repair my heart?" Dante questioned as he reached out mischievously for her arm to draw her close. He was still tethered to an IV and couldn't quite extend out as far as she was standing, which frustrated him and nearly caused him to fall out of his bed. As he juggled to balance himself back on the bed, Lulu chuckled and took a step toward him so he could take her arm. But she grabbed his sly wandering hand and said, "I don't think you are ready for that just yet, Officer."

Still grinning wickedly, Dante replied, "Hey, I'm just trying to cooperate here. I don't know anyone who's better qualified to heal my heart than you, Nurse Spencer."

The room was starting to spin a little as Dante became short of breath again, and he started to lean back against the pillows.

Lulu's heart wanted to melt because she saw his struggle, but she couldn't let him distract her from the discussion she knew was necessary.

"Dante, I'm serious." Lulu lectured. "We used to talk about everything! But we stopped communicating… especially after I lost the baby. You shut me out, Dante, and I couldn't take it anymore, so I left, which was a mistake. But I was hurting too, and I wasn't seeing things as clearly as I am now."

Lulu paused for a moment to look in Dante's eyes and gather her courage before continuing, "You've been through a lot over the past year and I'm worried about you. So is Olivia... You almost died, Dante! AGAIN! You can't keep taking risks like this. I want to take you away from Port Charles for a while and get you some help so you can sort through how you feel about everything that's happened. You need a time-out… a chance to get away from everything that's been pulling you down so you can find some peace."

Dante's eyes narrowed, darkening in frustration, but he stubbornly tried to dodge the truth in her theory.

"Hey a vacation with you sounds great when I'm feeling stronger, but don't go projecting all this psycho bullshit on me!" He paused to take a breath, "I'm fine. I don't need protecting, and I don't need to come to terms with anything."

"Dante, I know this is hard for you to hear." Lulu protested, with tears in her eyes. "But you've got to trust me on this. I didn't see it before, but I do now. It became clear to me when you went into that burning building to save that father for his kids. Your situation with Sonny has put you in an impossible position and you've been taking unnecessary risks ever since. You're not happy; anyone can see that. The future you thought you had and risked everything for has been turned upside down. But it doesn't mean you have to throw it all away. You are an amazing person and you don't need to keep proving that to anyone, especially not to me. I know who you are! The Dante I know is a wonderful, brave, and honest man; but lately, you're not being honest with yourself. And I think if you were honest with yourself, maybe you'd admit that it's easier for you to risk your life than it is to risk confronting how you feel about Sonny."

"What? You think I have a death wish? SCREW Sonny!" Dante burst out, defensively. "My job is to protect people! Sometimes it gets a little dangerous. There are risks when you're a cop. I don't even remember going into that burning building, so how do you expect me to agree with you about my motivations that night?"

Lulu had obviously struck a nerve. Dante had tensed, visibly.

"Port Charles is toxic to you right now!" Lulu cried. "You've been functioning on autopilot for a long time now and it almost got you killed! I'm calling you on all your crap and telling you that you need help so badly that you don't even realize it. You need to acknowledge your conflicting feelings or you'll self-destruct. And maybe your life doesn't mean anything to you anymore, but it does to me! You're not the only one who is hurting here. And you weren't the only one who was hurting when I moved out!"

Clearly agitated, Dante protested.

"Look Lulu, I love you, but YOU left ME! And I know exactly how I feel about anyone or anything you want to name. I don't need to get all touchy-feely with some therapist to gain some magical understanding of who I am... I don't see why no one will just let me move on with my life!" He clenched his fist and pounded the bed in frustration, but pain tore at his chest and he started to feel woozy. His head hurt and the room was starting to spin again.

Lulu saw the distress in his eyes just before the alarms sounded. Frightened, she placed her arms gently around him and guided him to lean back against the pillows. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly,

Dante nodded, but didn't have the breath to speak yet. He had said enough and knew it. He shifted a bit in his bed, trying to relieve the pressure in his chest. He lay back on the bed, knowing Epiphany and Dr. Webber would be arriving soon.

Lulu was shaken by Dante's reaction. She wasn't sure what scared her more: the proof that Dante really wasn't ready to leave the hospital yet or how angry he'd become when she suggested he needed help with getting his emotions and life in order. As the alarms continued to sound, Lulu leaned over and stroked his head and his arms to comfort and calm him.

Dr. Webber and Epiphany ran into the room and immediately went to Dante's monitor. His heart rate was higher than normal and his blood pressure had hit new heights. Epiphany only shook her head, assisted Dante as he took several puffs of a bronchodilator, turned off the monitors, and left the room. Dr. Webber, on the other hand, decided enough was enough and told them, "I know you both have issues that need to be discussed, but now is not the time. Dante, your first priority is healing from your physical injuries, and as much as you may not want to admit it, you need to look inside yourself next." Then he turned to Lulu and said "And for you, this should show you he isn't ready to leave just yet. As I said before, he'll need at least a week to get back on track." With those words, Steve turned around and exited the room.

Lulu cautiously picked up their conversation where they had left off.

"Dante, I love you. I am so afraid of losing you that I can't afford to beat around the bush about this… We ALL want you to move on with your life. But you CAN'T do that without compromising any number of the relationships you've built over the last 2 years, and you've NEVER been able to accept compromises. If you can't get past the anger and confusion I now see in you, you won't survive more than a couple of months and that puts us right back to the point where I walked out on you 3 months ago. But this time around, I'm seeing things more clearly and I understand what's going on. I'm not giving up on you… or on us, but you have a choice to make and some work to do! I can't go through this again. It's not fair of you to ask that of me."

Dante couldn't hold back any longer. He took a deep breath, grabbing his chest in pain as he spoke. "Lulu," he panted, "I know… we have a lot we need to talk about. I'm so sorry for everything that's happened. I'll do whatever it takes to get back what we had — even though right now I'm not able to do much of anything." Dante was still struggling a little to speak and he was visibly tired.

Lulu paused for a moment before answering him. When she spoke, she was gentle, but firm. "Not so fast, Dante, you have to realize your limitations and take things a little slower. It is going to be a long journey to get you back to where you were. There are no quick fixes for this. Right now, you need to focus on getting your strength back. But you also need to think about what I said. I love you and I'll do anything to help you, but there's only so much I can do... Face it, detective, you have a lot of baggage!" she grinned.

"Baggage, huh? This… from the queen of cynicism?... I'll be fine if you're with me. I can be patient." He said in as cocky a tone as he could muster. Dante seemed a bit more settled, feeling Lulu had his back again.

Lulu had to laugh. "Patience? You? You're kidding, right?" She leaned over and, staring directly into those dark, haunted eyes, she kissed him. "The choice is yours. I'm prepared to help you move forward, but only if you're willing to deal honestly with your feelings about everything that has happened to change your life recently. That means no more heroics. No more denial. No more walls. You need to really think about what that means, because it's non-negotiable and I'm done arguing with you. But right now, I just want you to rest, can you do that for me?"

Dante smiled that melt-worthy smile that Lulu loved. "Still as bossy as ever, aren't you? Don't worry, baby, as long as I have you by my side, I can do anything," he murmered.

Rest really wasn't a bad idea, Dante reflected. He was worn out. He held her hand tightly and obediently closed his eyes. Lulu stayed until she knew he was sleeping soundly and carefully removed her hand from his. She moved a few stray hairs out of the way and kissed his forehead. Lulu left his room, knowing she needed to start making all the arrangements necessary for his continued recovery.

Surprisingly, Lulu did not return to the hospital during that week, and Dante was worried. First, he was concerned that something had happened to her and had tried to call her several times. She had simply texted back, "LUV U… REST!" When he tried her again she simply texted back, "Have 2 work. Talk 2 U later." As time went on, she'd texted him back a couple of times, but only with vague information. She gave no indication about what she was thinking or when she would come see him. As the hours and then the days ticked by, he began to wonder if she was having second thoughts. Where was she? Had he lost her once more? The possibility tormented him and increased his restlessness as well as his determination to get out of the hospital.

Olivia noticed Dante's concern and longed to relieve his fears, But she also noticed that he was now highly motivated to get out of the hospital. The prospect of having Lulu back in his life was clearly helping him, and it made her maternal heart rejoice. But she also didn't feel he was quite ready to discuss the plan she and Lulu were putting into play. So she tried to reassure him a little, saying, "Dante, Lulu has been busy and she told me a little about the argument you two had. She thought it might be best to give you some time to think things over and get some perspective."

Over the next few days Dante thought about all the arguments he and Lulu had before she moved out...

_He remembered their loss. He remembered the despair he felt when she left him… as if someone had ripped out his heart. He had never felt so much pain before in his life. He had wanted to talk with his best friend about losing the love of his life, but he couldn't, because Lulu WAS his best friend. So between his anger at Sonny, the loss of their baby, and then the break up with Lulu, he'd hit rock bottom._

After several days of forced contemplation, Dante had to admit that Lulu was at least partially correct. Finding out that Sonny was his father was a bigger deal than he had been willing to admit. In fact, it had affected every relationship he held dear to him, even the life of the unborn child he and Lulu had lost. Although acknowledgement of this tiny sliver of truth scared him enough to make him break out in a cold sweat, he was beginning to understand what he needed to do and felt he was ready. He texted Lulu and told her he was ready for whatever she was going to throw at him.

Exactly one week after Dante and Lulu's argument, Olivia and Dr. Webber came walking through his hospital room door with smiles on their faces. Dr. Webber was the first to speak, "So, Detective Falconeri, do you think you've suffered enough abuse from our physical therapy and food here that you might want to consider leaving this place?"

Dante was more than ready to leave, but he really wanted to leave with the one person who wasn't there. "Sure, doc, I've never felt more ready. No disrespect, Ma, but I was kinda hoping Lulu would be here to help me home."

Olivia was ready for Dante. "Son, you know Lulu has a job and responsibilities, she's had some things she's needed to take care of. She'll be around! Just give her time. I'm here to get you out of here and get you settled."

As disappointed and upset as he was, Dante knew he had a long road ahead of him in winning Lulu back. But he was willing to do whatever it took. As he started to get out of bed, he told his mother "I need to find Lulu first, I have something to tell her."

Olivia winked at him and smiled, "First things first, Dante! You need to focus on getting your strength back. Let's get you out of here and put some home cooked food in your stomach."

As hungry as Dante was for real food, all he could think about was why Lulu wasn't there for him. Not in a position to argue with his mother, Dante resolved to call Lulu again as soon as he had a minute alone. If she wouldn't take his call... well then - if he had to, he'd drive to Crimson himself.

Little did he know what Lulu was cooking up for him...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Homecoming**

"Hey, Ma, where are you going? You should have turned left at that light! You can't be going to the store for more food, it looked like you had enough to feed an army in the back of the car." Dante was talking a mile a minute in the hope that his growing confusion wasn't too evident. He didn't want her to think his memory was still cloudy and he had no idea where he lived; but quite honestly, he thought maybe he _didn't_ know where he lived anymore, because the scenery out the window was quickly becoming unfamiliar to him. On the other hand, he was just so glad to be out of the hospital that he'd pretty much go anywhere his mother decided to take him as long as he never had to see the inside of that damn building again.

Olivia was determined not to blow the plan she and Lulu had devised, so she played dumb to Dante's obvious confusion and simply said, "Dante, honey, I'm trying to drive, can you please be quiet?" She held her breath thinking that he wouldn't buy what she was selling, but what she didn't know was that Dante doubted both himself _and_ his memory. She was more than a little surprised when her normally vocal and fidgety son became quiet and still at her request and silently sat in the passenger seat, watching the landscape pass by.

Dante quickly recognized that he was going to get nothing more out of his mother and rather than argue or cajole it out of her he decided to relax and let her do the driving and not worry about something as simple as getting home. He was tired anyway, being unaccustomed to life outside of his hospital bed. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, wondering if he was headed home or to Olivia's, but he didn't really care enough to ask. Dante soon dozed off, lulled to sleep by the white noise and vibration of the car, only to wake up over an hour later to know darn well that they were not going to either his or his Ma's house. It was then that his inquisitive nature finally got the better of him and he turned to his mother and asked, "Where are we going?"

"We're taking you to a place that should make it easier for you to recover, Dante. I love you more than life itself. You know that. And whether you want to admit it or not I know you're still angry with me for not telling you about your father. But you've got to pull yourself together and see what you're doing to not only yourself but to those who love you."

Olivia was talking in her "mother-knows-best" voice that Dante knew all too well. He was starting to feel like the twelve year old whose mother admonished him for finding a pack of cigarettes in his pocket by making him smoke the whole pack that day. Dante was so sick; he never smoked again, or for that matter, never ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It didn't look so good coming back up.

Now, sitting in the car next to his fiercely protective mother who was dishing out her version of tough love, he couldn't help but revert back to the boy who, despite everything, would do almost anything to avoid disappointing the woman who loved him beyond reason. "Who do you mean, 'we?'" was all Dante could muster, besides getting a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach at the memory of that peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Well, it took several people to get you to where you are now. Dr. Webber needed to be convinced it was going to be okay for you to leave the hospital early. Sonny made the money available for this trip. And Lulu…" Olivia didn't want to finish her thought.

"What about Lulu?" Dante sat up after hearing her name, grimacing in pain from the rapid movement. To say that Dante missed Lulu was an understatement. The week without her had nearly driven him crazy. Each day that had passed without a visit from her had further convinced Dante that once he was out of the hospital Lulu would announce to him that she had changed her mind. He had concluded that she was waiting to tell him that she simply couldn't be with him given how messed up he was and how much he had hurt her. But now, his mother was telling him that Lulu was part of whatever was about to happen, and while he was a little apprehensive about the mystery surrounding the plan, he also was rather relieved. Hearing that Lulu was somehow involved in whatever was going on made him ridiculously happy and very curious.

Olivia knew she might regret telling Dante how Lulu was involved, but she also knew he needed to know that this whole idea was hers. "Dante, Lulu came to me with an idea she got from a dream she had. I thought it was a great idea and helped her with the planning, but it was all Lulu's hard work that made it happen."

Dante was interested in why, if Lulu was behind whatever they were setting up, she wasn't there taking the credit for it herself. He felt she should have been there to pick him up and take him home, or wherever it was that his mother was taking him. Although the realization that this was all part of a plan devised by Lulu made it easier for him to ignore the fact that his mother was basically abducting him; he really just needed to see Lulu. "Hey Ma, can you take me to Crimson so I can personally thank Lulu for getting me out of the hellhole I've been in?"

"Nope, can't do it. We're late as it is. You'll just have to call Lulu when we get where we're going and thank her that way." Olivia was starting to worry she had already said more than they agreed she would say when Dante started to question what was going on. From that point on she made sure not to divulge any more details to Dante no matter what he asked, and he soon gave up.

They drove the rest of the way in silence. When they pulled up to the cottage, Dante felt a twinge of déjà vu. He strained to remember where he had seen this place before. By the time Olivia had put the car in park, he knew exactly where he'd seen it. This house by the ocean was the one he dreamt about when he was in his coma. Dante couldn't believe his eyes. How in the world did Lulu know about his dream? In between their argument and his recovery, he never had time to tell her about it. But he also knew that as in his dream, without Lulu being there with him, this place — this perfect place — would still not be enough to heal him. As soon as he could get to his cell phone, and he prayed to God that there was cell reception here, he was calling Lulu and telling her to get her sweet, sexy ass to him.

They walked inside and Olivia immediately went to the kitchen to start dinner. The drive had taken longer than expected and with what she had planned to make for dinner, she needed to get started right away. Olivia had two things she needed to get done in the next few hours: she needed to be sure the meal was ready in time for the next phase of their operation, and she needed to keep Dante distracted. Along those lines, Olivia looked over to her son and called out, "Dante, honey, we have a couple of hours till dinner, why don't you get yourself settled, and check out the view from the patio? I'll get things started here and then bring you out something to drink and your next round of medication" Olivia watched her son with eagle eyes as he slowly made his way toward the patio door. Although he was up and walking she would easily see that the ride had taken its toll on him. Her perpetually- in-motion son was moving gingerly and with care, which told her that he was in pain and tired. After he did a little exploring and took his meds she suspected he'd nap on one of the lounge chairs outside. Olivia felt that the fresh air and sunshine would do far more to heal him than just about anything else …well, anything else except Lulu.

Olivia watched Dante for a few moments longer, ensuring herself that he would be fine on his own for a few minutes and then made the final few trips to the car to bring in the rest of their bags. After placing the groceries on the kitchen counter she immediately found the bag with Dante's medications and his much hated nebulizer. Before they had been allowed to leave General Hospital Dante had a final session with his respiratory therapist, which Olivia had sat in on. The therapist had stressed the importance of his inhalation therapies and said they would know if he had done his homework when he came in for a re-check. She also told him that the fastest way for him to end up back in the hospital and possibly with permanent lung damage, as well as an early retirement from the police force, was to slack off on the treatments. Olivia had seen the fear in Dante's eyes at the prospect of losing the job that he loved and knew that no matter how much he hated the breathing treatments that he would perform them faithfully. Olivia quietly brought out a glass of water, along with his meds and the nebulizer to Dante and placed them on the table beside his chair. She paused long enough to hug him to her and bury her face in his hair and inhale the scent of the son that she loved more than life itself. She had nearly lost him so many times in the past year and sent up silent thanks to God for once again sparing his life. She promised that she would do her part to preserve it and make sure that he understood what a gift he had been given by surviving this last crisis. With a final kiss to the crown of his head and a caress of his cheek, Olivia walked back into the house, hoping that Dante had not seen the tears that had flooded her eyes.

Dante sat quietly, unmoving as his mother held him, knowing that as much as he'd been hurting these past few months that his behavior had hurt her just as much, if not more. As she held him to her, he felt her start to shake and knew that she was crying. He hated to even think of how many tears she had cried over him, and how many of them were his fault. He leaned into her hand slightly as she caressed his cheek, saying nothing, and then sat quietly as she walked away. There were no words that he could say to undo the damage and hurt. The only thing that would fully heal his relationship with her was time. Dante sat for a few moments longer and then reached for the pills and quickly downed them. Then, as much as he hated it, he decided now was as good a time as any to have that first therapy session, figuring he needed the extra boost if he was going to explore his new surroundings.

Once Dante was finished with his treatment, he lay back on the lounge chair and breathed in the salt air. It was a mild afternoon, so the air was easy on his lungs. He took off his shoes and was amazed at how good it felt to be where he was at that moment. It beat the hell out of being in the hospital and even before that, life in Port Charles had become a tedious routine of trying to do his job and protect his loved ones, while continually defending his actions. Yes, this was definitely an improvement from Port Charles. The only problem was that if he had his choice, he wouldn't be out there by himself. He craved Lulu.

Still, he had to admit that solitude beat some of the alternatives. Things remained a bit tense between him and Olivia. Although, intellectually he understood why she'd never told him about his father, emotionally it still affected their relationship. He loved his Ma and always would, but he would never approve of her choice of male companions. The thought of her dating a mobster made him cringe; and the fact that Johnny was just slightly older than him only made it worse. It made everything so damn awkward! But, he knew he wasn't strong enough yet to get around on his own and, not knowing what was going on with Lulu, he figured he didn't have much choice but to go with the flow. He sighed at the thought of the rebuilding that lay before he and his mother. Maybe they could make a little progress over the next few days. It seemed there would be ample opportunity for conversation.

After a short rest to recover from the slight dizziness that the breathing treatments always left him with, Dante stood up and decided to explore a little. With no direction in mind he wandered away from the cottage a short distance to see what was around. He didn't really have the strength to go very far,but he was enjoying the feeling of being alone and wanted to put off being in close quarters with his mom Dante knew it, he was headed toward the beach. He hadn't found his cell phone yet and his mother certainly wasn't helping. In fact she had seemed fairly insistent that he not stay in the house with her. She obviously wanted him out of the way while she fixed dinner. He figured given all the grief he had given her recently he really couldn't justify being an ass by insisting he wasn't doing anything else until he was able to talk to Lulu.

The tide was coming in. The ocean waves were lapping closer and closer to his bare feet as each wave crashed to shore. The sun was starting to set on the horizon and Dante had to admit, he was feeling a bit more relaxed walking along the shoreline. Maybe the fresh air and change in environment would do him some good after all, he reflected. He had to admit there were definitely some issues he needed to work through. Dante breathed in the solitude and let his mind go empty. It felt good. But even here, he couldn't escape the nagging ache for Lulu. He missed her so much! He couldn't wait to see her, to touch her, to feel her skin touching his. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was for being so selfish when he knew she was in as much pain as he was. Having her stand by his side while he was in the hospital the past couple of weeks was an eye opener to him. He realized she was committed to standing beside him, no matter what; and he needed to do the same for her.

Dante hadn't gone all that far, but he impulsively turned around and headed back to the cottage. He needed to find his phone and call Lulu. He was in a hurry and walked as quickly as he could, even though he could feel his strength starting to ebb. All he knew that was if he didn't hear her voice, restrictions or no, he was going to get back into that car, drive to Port Charles and track her down. He didn't care if Dr. Webber sent him back to the hospital or not. He felt an urgency to close the distance between he and Lulu and was determined to bridge their emotional gap regardless of what it cost him.

As he approached the cottage, he was greeted with the aroma of one of his mother's classic dishes. It was a familiar scent, and a welcome one, but he shook his head over the irony of mixing such a comforting and familiar meal with the awkwardness he now had about sharing anything with her. Besides, he really didn't want to think about eating until he'd spoken with Lulu_. _Light-headed, somewhat weak-kneed, and with his heart pounding in his chest, he grabbed the stair railing and paused, wanting to catch his breath before walking up the steps. He put his head down, closed his eyes and said a silent prayer that he would make it up those stairs without dying.

Before he could finish his prayer, he felt her. For a split second he thought he was just imagining her because he wanted her so badly that he had conjured her out of thin air; then she spoke like an angel.

"So, Officer, do you need some help?" Lulu asked.

Dante looked up at her and saw a vision in white. For once in his life, he couldn't speak. The surprised look on his face spoke the words that Lulu was hoping to hear. All he could do was grab her and pull her toward him. He lost his balance and crumpled to the ground, bringing her with him. Reacting quickly, Lulu shifted her weight to avoid falling directly on Dante because she knew his chest injuries were not completely healed.

Dante caught his breath and said, "I don't care if I break another rib, I want to kiss you so bad, I'll risk it."

He reached up and pulled her head down to him and kissed her with a heat that had simmered for days. When he pulled back, he looked at her and grinned, "You know, it's a good thing the sand broke our fall. I don't think Dr. Webber would ever let me leave GH again if I came in on my first day out of the hospital with a broken arm." He was so amazed at her sudden appearance! He just kept gazing at her, beaming, as she smiled back at him. "There is so much to talk about. I want to make it right with you. I love you, Lulu! I need you."

His eyes started to tear up, he wanted her. He pulled her as close as he could and when their lips met again and opened for each other, their tongues touched off a feeling of emotion that both had missed for several months. They stayed where they were for several minutes, silently entwined with each other on the sand, watching the sun set and the darkness fall. It felt wonderful to be together again. Lulu settled herself against Dante and, careful to avoid his still healing wounds, gently laid her head on his chest where she had the comfort of hearing his heart beat.

When dusk had swallowed the last of the shadows, Dante looked down at Lulu, and grazed the top of her head with his chin as he held her tight. In a voice choked with emotion he whispered, "I can't imagine a more perfect moment than being with you right here, right now. How did you know that this was what I needed?"

Lulu looked up, stroked his cheek with one hand and said slyly, "I know all kinds of things that will be good for you. When are YOU going to start listening to me?"

Dante's eyebrows shot up in amazement and he laughed gently, but humbly, nodding his head in acknowledgement of her wisdom. "The lady hasn't lost her touch, I see. Still the same, amazing Lulu."

He coughed a little, and tried to distract her by gently sweeping the hair from her face so he could look at her.

"Oh, I think you'll find that I've changed a bit, but I'm still amazing." Lulu agreed, maintaining control of the situation. "You were right when you said we have lots to talk about. But right now, let's get you inside before the chilly night air makes your lungs seize up and your mom comes looking for us."

As Lulu helped him up the stairs, she realized how much effort even small exertions cost him. She opened the door from the patio and both were surprised at the sight that greeted them. Olivia had transformed the room into a romantic hideaway. Candles were lit, the table was set, wine was cooling in a bucket, and dinner was sitting in a warming tray. However, there was no trace of Olivia herself. They called out her name, but received no answer in response. When Lulu walked over to the table, she noticed a note on Dante's dinner plate. She picked it up and read it aloud.

"To my dearest son, I love you. And I know you've been lost without Lulu. Whether you want to admit it or not, you two have suffered one of the worst things you will have to go through in your life, but with each other's love and support you can and will learn and grow from your experiences. The two of you are soul mates, Dante. Find your way back to each other. I'll see you soon. Love, your mother…. P.S. The wine is for Lulu! You stay away from it while you're on your meds!"

Dante rubbed his hands together and grinned mischievously. "Well, I'll hand it to my Ma! I may not agree with all the decisions she's made, but she certainly knows what I need right now… a home-cooked meal and some alone time with my girl — and NOT necessarily in that order." His voice dropped to his trademark seductive tone as he took the note from Lulu's hands, tossed it on the table, and pulled her in for a tender embrace.

They kissed hungrily, but Lulu pulled back hesitantly, looking into his eyes and noting the depth of his fatigue. "Well, it looks like Olivia outdid herself this time," she said, with a coy smile. "I think we need to put some food in your stomach and see if we can get some of your energy back. "

Lulu took Dante's hand and helped her lover to his seat. She sat down next to him while he poured Lulu a glass of wine. But before she could serve any food, Dante reached out, took both her hands in his and attempted to set things straight between them.

"Lulu," he said earnestly, "I've done a lot of thinking about what you said to me in the hospital, and there's some things I need to say to you, too... I love you!… I've never loved anyone like I love you. I've loved you enough to trust you with my life, literally. I can't begin to tell you how much you mean to me and how much I feel I owe you. When you left me, my world came apart. Things were already spiraling out of control; but without you, nothing mattered anymore. I know you were hurt. I knew it then and I wanted nothing more than to make that hurt go away, but I just didn't feel like I could offer you anything better than the heartache you had already gotten for standing by me… and I didn't feel like I had the right to ask you to come back for what seemed like more pain. I'm so sorry."

Here, Lulu started to protest, putting her fingers to his lips to quiet him, but he recaptured her hand with one of his and took her chin in his other hand so he could stroke her cheek with his thumb, as he continued, his voice cracking with emotion as the words that he'd longed to say came spilling out of him.

"I never should have just let you walk out of my life! We should have been together so we could finish grieving for our baby… and just BE there for each other. I should have been there for you, like you have always been there for me, ever since I met you. I'm so sorry I let you down! If you'll let me, I promise to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. And if that means I have to let go of some of the baggage I've been carrying with me, then I'll do whatever it takes to work through that too. The thing is, Lulu, I feel like a selfish ass for even asking this of you… I don't have any right to ask you to pick up where we left off and I don't want you to do it if you're doing it because you feel like you HAVE to, or if you're afraid that if you don't take me back I'll do something stupid and self-destructive. You don't owe me anything. But, if you WANT to be with me, I want nothing more than to be with you and to try to make you happy."

Lulu's eyes filled with tears, feeling the honesty pouring from him as he released his burdens to her. It was all she wanted from him. THIS was the Dante she had fallen in love with — the one with no walls or restraints. Her heart flooded with joy at the hint of his return.

"I'm sorry, too, Dante!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "I left you when you were at your lowest point. And it almost cost me YOU. But I only did that because I was so scared. I was hurting so much already after losing the baby. I… I think I was kind of in shock or something, and I couldn't risk watching you drift further away from me. So, instead of sticking around for the torture of a slow death of 'us,' I just ripped the band-aid off, so to speak, and left. At the time, it seemed safer to just cut to the chase since it seemed inevitable. But I regretted it immediately. I … I should have just come back… But I couldn't." She sobbed. "It just felt like you'd given up. Every day, I wondered what you were doing and if you were getting by ok, but I was so confused! You didn't call me, or anything… I was hurt and angry and I let my pride and my guilt keep me away from you. And it all came crashing in on me when they brought you into the hospital the night of the fire… Dante, everything stopped for me in that moment I saw you. Nothing else mattered. I knew that nothing could ever be important to me again if you didn't survive. I was afraid it was too late. I knew then, that if you survived, I was going to fight to get you back in my life. Being scared was okay, but being so scared that I didn't fight for us wasn't an option for me anymore. I simply had to trust in our love and the strength that comes with it."

She laughed as she pointed out, "Look at how amazing you are!… You took a closed off, cynical girl and turned her into a hopeless romantic who believes that true love is strong enough to overcome anything from bullets in the chest to heartbreaking losses." Lulu grinned through her tears as she finished her confession.

Dante shook his head, his eyes looking intensely into hers, and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his hands, unconcerned with those streaming down his own face. "You call me amazing? Although I admit it took me a long time to break through those walls you had built up, all I did was be persistent. And that was easy because deep down I knew you were worth waiting for. I was just being selfish when you get right down to it. But as it turned out, chasing after you and wearing you down was the best thing I could have done for myself, and I didn't even know it at the time… The thing is, Lulu, when I found out Sonny was my father, my world pretty much turned upside down. It seemed like so many things I had been so sure about were suddenly not true anymore. My relationship with my mom, my concept of what a father should be, my ideas about my job, my reputation as a cop, my beliefs about what's best for the brothers and sister I didn't know I had. ... I just… I don't know. Everything became SO… complicated! You know, self-confidence has never really been a problem for me, but I suddenly found myself in a situation where I couldn't trust my instincts anymore. And, you know… I'm still not sure I can completely trust what I'm feeling at times. Maybe I haven't been completely honest with myself. But the one thing I AM confident about is YOU. I trust you, Lulu. No one has ever been so close to me, or stood by me through so much, or understood me so well. So, if you'll help me, I promise to do the work I need to do in order for me to move forward. You said I had a choice to make, and I'm telling you I made my choice a long time ago. I chose you then, and I'm choosing you now."

Dante was out of breath as well as out of words, and a little dizzy. But he drew in and kissed her tenderly anyway, leaving Lulu breathless too.

"I'm glad you trust me, Dante. Because I truly want what's best for you and I believe that, in the end, what's best for each of us individually will result in our being closer than ever. And right now," she grinned wickedly, "I need you to trust me when I say that what's best for you is to get some food in you. I think you're going to need sustenance." She let her eyes twinkle mischievously at him.

The dinner Olivia had made was fabulous, but neither of them could eat very much. They were too busy drinking in each other's presence. There was still a ton to talk about, but they were both so relieved to just be together again, that for now, that was enough. Apologies had been spoken and their hearts were in rhythm again. The details could wait until Dante was stronger. Once dinner was finished they both stood up to clear the table, but Lulu could see the fatigue etched in Dante's face.

"I'll get the dishes, Dante. You go rest in that big chair over there," Lulu commanded. "I don't want you taking on too much on your first day out of the hospital."

Lulu cleared the dishes and Dante walked over to the overstuffed chair in the great room. He glanced casually at the headlines in the newspaper that was lying there and read idly while he waited for Lulu to finish in the kitchen, but he was too tired to really take much note of what the words said. Next to him was his nebulizer; his mother must have brought it in from the porch before she made her escape. He reached over to start another round of therapy. As he leaned over to get the breathing apparatus set up, Lulu was already there, plugging in the machine and handing him the device he needed to use to help him breath. She smiled at Dante as he started his session, kissed his forehead, ran her fingers through his hair, and walked away toward the bathroom.

At the end of his treatment, Dante put everything away and waited for Lulu. However, the chair he was sitting in was so comfortable, it didn't take too long before he was fast asleep.

Several minutes later, Lulu came out of the bathroom in a slinky pink nightgown that showed off her curves. When she'd told Maxie about her plan to help Dante heal, and hopefully also to heal their relationship, Maxie had run to her bedroom and returned with a box bearing the name of an exclusive boutique in New York that Lulu recognized. Maxie explained that she'd bought it for herself to wear with Spinelli, but had never had the opportunity before their relationship fizzled and ended. She shoved the box into Lulu's hand and insisted she open it. Lulu had lifted the lid to see the most exquisite pink negligee nesting in a bed of darker pink tissue paper. For all her self-centered ways, Maxie had a big, generous, and romantic heart and the gift was her way of telling Lulu that she approved of not only her plan for Dante, but her decision to risk her heart to build a life with him. It meant everything to Lulu that Maxie believed in her…..believed in them.

Lulu hadn't been sure if tonight was the right night to wear it, but then decided that she wanted to wear something pretty and suggestive — just in case Dante was able to make love. But she was nervous. She wanted him; there was no doubt about that. She had dreamed of the time they would resolve their issues and she would be back in his bed. However, standing silently in front of him, watching him sleep, the lines of fatigue still etched on his face, she thought that perhaps putting on the sexy nightie was not such a good idea. She was terrified of hurting him; she could see how exhausted he became after the slightest exertion. She walked over to him and gently nudged him to the side of the oversized chair and snuggled in beside him. Lulu carefully put her arm around him and kissed him on his temple. Dante flinched at her touch, but then settled more comfortably into her embrace. Roused from his light sleep by her kiss, he turned toward her and opened his eyes, giving her his trademark grin as he put his arm around her and drew her close to him. They both knew they had a long way to go, but it was a given — they knew they loved each other more than life itself.

Lulu smiled back at Dante and said ''I think I need to get you to bed. You've had a big day and I think you are worn out. We can do this another time. We have the rest of our lives to…"

Dante interrupted her, "Wait a minute! I've rested! I feel like I can take on the world now. You give me all the strength I need." He rose out of the chair in one smooth move. He was surprised at how he felt as he gazed at Lulu, still splayed out on the chair, looking up at him with huge amber eyes. He was actually nervous — like he had been the first time he made love to Lulu. But when he looked down at her sitting there in that gorgeous nightgown, he knew whatever happened during this night, he had enough energy to make love to her. "Slow and easy," he reminded her. They'd done it before; several times — after each accident, in fact. He reached out to take her hand and helped her out of her seat. Because she was shorter than he was, she stood on her tip-toes, grabbed his head with her hands and pulled his lips to hers in a deep lingering kiss that told him she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

As she started to pull away from him, Dante again pulled her close to him in another embrace and walked her backwards into the bedroom, one hand in her hair, the other guiding her movements so she wouldn't fall. Heat radiated from his magnificent body and she felt her knees grow weak as his hands caressed her. Standing at the foot of the bed, Lulu started to undress Dante. Very slowly and deliberately, she unbuttoned his shirt and carefully slipped it off his injured body, making sure his remaining bandages were still intact. Lulu unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants and pulled them down, thankful that he'd removed his shoes earlier for his walk on the beach so she didn't have to be bothered with any footwear. She sat him on the edge of the bed and crawled upon it herself. She helped him get settled so that he wouldn't have to do anything. Then, she paused for a moment and retrieved his Xoponex inhaler from the other room and placed it on the nightstand, just in case.

Dante looked at Lulu and smiled. She knew Dante was ready; she noticed his erection when she removed his pants and it inflamed her desire. Wanting Dante to conserve his strength she lifted herself over him and straddled his muscular body. He was surprised at her boldness, but was ready for anything. She eased herself down onto him and with a slow, rhythmic motion; Lulu showed Dante just how much she loved him. Lulu was restricted in where she could touch his body because of his wounds; so, instead, she let him tenderly fondle her breasts and explore her body with his warm hands. It gave him a sense of empowerment and made him feel he was giving back what he was taking from her at that moment. Bending forward, Lulu gently kissed his collarbone and his chest, and finally, crushed her lips onto his, teasing him with her tongue, seeking union with him in every way possible. Moving together in unison, they gave themselves to each other in the most intimate ways, they built their passion so they would explode together. After all the lovemaking these two had done in their past, Lulu could feel the exact moment when Dante was at the height of his climax. Dante rose slightly from the bed and pulled Lulu into his arms. He whispered into her ear, "Oh God, how I've missed these moments between us. I know I messed up Lulu, but I will always love you." In response, Lulu constricted her muscles around him, sending Dante over the edge. As he exploded into Lulu, they locked their arms around each other while lips and tongues met in a deep, sensual kiss.

When they were finished, Lulu helped Dante lean back against the pillows and let him catch his breath. She lay beside him, rubbing her hand over his chest, and said, "I will always love you too. No matter what happens next, Dante, this will never change. I want you in my life. We have to promise to never go to bed mad at each other again and to never shut each other out when we're having problems."

Dante took his hand and wiped away the tear that was starting to drop from her eye, and said "Baby, I promise you, I'll always be there for you. I'm not going anywhere."

Lulu lay against him and smiled through tears of relief that had been begging for release for months. They fell asleep wrapped in each other, content in the knowledge that despite the work that lay before them, they were home in each other's arms.


End file.
